Masterpiece | A Salute to Downton Abbey

Last Updated
by WMHT Web Editor on

Watch Sunday, November 29, 2015 at 9pm and 10:30pm on WMHT TV

Additional airdates:

Thursday, December 3 at 10:30pm
Friday, December 4 at 10:30pm
Sunday, December 6 at 6pm
Friday, December 11 at 10:30pm
Friday, December 18 at 10:30pm
Sunday, December 27 at 5pm and 11pm
Thursday, December 31 at 9:30pm
Friday, January 1, 2016 at 10:30pm
Sunday, January 3, 2016 at 1pm

As the top-rated PBS drama of all time approaches its sixth and final season in January 2016, join host Hugh Bonneville, who portrays Robert, Earl of Grantham, to look back on this remarkable series and its beloved characters, and enjoy a tantalizing glimpse of what the climactic nine episodes in Season 6 — premiering Sunday, January 3, 2016, on MASTERPIECE — will bring. Where will fate, passion, ambition and duty lead television’s cherished characters? A SALUTE TO DOWNTON ABBEY premieres Sunday, November 29, 2015, at 9PM on WMHT.

Featuring interviews with writer and creator Julian Fellowes, executive producer Gareth Neame and the cast of “Downton Abbey,” A SALUTE TO DOWNTON ABBEY includes favorite scenes and behind-the-scenes footage from both above and below stairs. “Downton Abbey" is a Carnival Films/MASTERPIECE co-production.

“Downton Abbey on MASTERPIECE is the most popular drama in PBS history, and we can’t wait to kick off its final season with this special program,” said Paula Kerger, PBS President and CEO. “Along with countless Downton fans, we are looking forward to reliving some of the best of the past and getting a glimpse of what the future holds for these unforgettable characters.”

Host Hugh Bonneville recalls the high points from storylines of the past five seasons, and with his characteristic charm and wit, helps answer the following burning questions:

• Will Lady Mary finally find another true love?

• Will Bates and Anna find happiness?

• How will Lady Edith and Marigold fit in at Downton?

• Will the wedding of Carson and Mrs. Hughes be the joyful celebration we all hope for?

• What twists and turns are in store for the Crawleys as the final season unfolds?

Over the past five years, “Downton Abbey” on MASTERPIECE has continued to captivate viewers with its intimately interlaced stories centered on an English country estate. Audiences have been gripped by the wrenching social changes, romantic intrigues and personal crises faced by the Crawley family and the household staff. “Downton Abbey” on MASTERPIECE opened Season 1 with a crisis sparked by the sinking of the Titanic in1912. Having weathered the demise of a string of heirs, the horrors of World War I, the Spanish flu, false convictions and romantic betrayals, not to mention the compromising death of a Turkish diplomat in the throes of passion, “Downton Abbey” has continued to keep viewers enthralled.

A runaway hit since it debuted on PBS in 2011, “Downton Abbey” — a Carnival/MASTERPIECE co-production — is widely credited with reigniting Americans’ passion for British drama. It is the top PBS drama of all time, the most popular series in MASTERPIECE’s 45-year history and one of the most-watched dramas on American television, frequently beating the competition in its Sunday night time slot. MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston.

With 59 Emmy® nominations, more than any other non-U.S. show in Emmy® history, “Downton Abbey” is one of the most honored series on television. It has won 12 Emmys®, three Golden Globes®, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Producers Guild Award and three BAFTAs, as well as being presented with the 2015 BAFTA Special Award in recognition of the outstanding global success of the show.